This and That

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Should Women Teach In Church?

Point of View:

In my early years in Zelenogorsk, there was a couple--Sasha and Dusha. One Sunday in the meeting, Dusha got up and informed the church that women shouldn't preach in the church. God's answer to me was to be quiet and pray. Then a few weeks later the pastor got up and said that Jesus showed him that the samaritan woman came to the well and told her whole village the message and many got saved. The church is the village or the people. So women can share the good news or preach. Well, I'm still standing on that revelation--it's all about the attitude of heart when these things come up! Now may the the prince of peace Himself reign and rule in yours. He will continue to reveal His will for your church body. --Kim-- Europe~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~We believe the same...but we live in a world that has SOOOOOO MANY different OPINIONS...the main one that my heart clings to is that the GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT are not given based on SEX...

The Ministry of the Spirit is not Male/Female driven...If the leadership gives a woman permission to speak from the platform...that woman is NOT Usurping Authority...she is under their authority...

As Ann Graham Lotz says..."When a woman has seen the Risen Savior she has only ONE RESPONSE...I SAW JESUS and I am going to tell the world...wherever...whenever He leads me!!!!!!!"I have spent so much time in the local church where I am not allowed to speak on the platform...and that is okay...because I speak alllllllllllll over the U.S. on platforms in front of men and women...especially professional athletes...and that is fine with me...

When I was in Prague in September...I visited the OLDEST SNYAGOGUE in Central Europe and the hallway is where the women would have to stand and they could lean up to some PEEK HOLES that were cut in concrete...hoping to hear some of the TORAH READ...the women weren't even allowed in the room where the TORAH WAS READ...Talk about keeping women out and silent...but that Snyagogue was built during the DARK AGES...Keeping women silent is a Dark Ages mentality...it was never how Jesus treated women...

--Jackie K-- USA~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~It is interesting the issues you brought up about women in ministry. It has been a long standing contentious issue in the body of Christ, unfortunately. The answers are not Just in one or tow sentences so I will recommend a very good book on this issue – it is “ I suffer not a woman to speak” by Richard and Catherine Clark Kroeger.

It will give you a very detailed explanation of women preaching but let me just say that:1. If your present church believes in that theology, then women should not even preach to other women at all period! The text from 1 Tim 2: 11-14. The problems are people stop at V11-12 and do not go on to V14 so they lose out on the full context of the scriptures and they are applying it out of context.

2. When a woman stands to preach, she stands in the office of a “minister” i.e. called to “serve” she is serving not exerting authority over men. Gal 3: 28 ……“there is neither Greek nor Jew, male or female, in Christ” . When a woman stands up to preach, she is standing in Christ; not a female but as a servant of Jesus Christ and she can minister!

3. That one singular scripture in 1 Tim 2: 11-12 is not consistent with Paul’s other writings and should not be taken alone to form a doctrine.Check: -- Rom 16: 1 I commend to you Phoebe (woman) a servant of the church in Cenchreae- Rome 16: 3 Greet Priscilla (the woman first) and Aquilla, my fellow worker in Jesus Christ (Acts 18: 24-26)- Rom 16: 1 Greet Andronicus and Junia (a woman) my country men & fellow prisoners who are of note among the apostles.4. Acts 1: 14 when the power came at Pentecost, it was also on the women. What was it for? Acts 1: 8 – witness in Judea, Jerusalem , and Samaria and to the ends of the earth!

5. Who was the first to preach the resurrection message and commanded by Jesus? Mary a woman and she as sent to men of course they did not believe her until Jesus appeared to them and upbraided them for their unbelief (Jan 20: 17, Luke 24: 1-10, Mk 16: 1-11, Matt 28: 9-10)

6. 2 Jn vs. 1-13 John’s letter to the lady elect and her children is all about church and ministry; not the home!

I can go on and on, but please read that book. In summary, the Jewish culture which patterned some of Paul’s writing at that time he wrote 1 Tim 2 11-12 should not be confused with the word and the spirit of life! The letter kills but the Spirit gives life. What about Deborah! She not only had authority over men but over the King because of the word of the Lord which was in her month!Most of all, pray about it and let the Spirit of God, who is our teacher, teach you.--Esther-- Africa